Soldato
Sorry, I'd have been determined to get back in my car if I were her. Using the doors you had parked near.
The constant fear of the door basher
- Thread starter lordrobs
- Start date
Sorry, I'd have been determined to get back in my car if I were her. Using the doors you had parked near.
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2004
- Posts
- 45,014
Another door ding. Probably from the gym car park. Red car, not too many of those.
Associate
I always do mini risk assessments in my head before parking anywhere. If there is a space at the end of row, I will usually park there as that instantly reduces the risk by 50%. If I see a child seat, I'll stay clear etc.
I remember around 10 years ago I bought a nice 12 month old Toyota Hybrid. I parked it in a pub car park with one car next to me. While opening my door, my initial thoughts were I could open my door fully, however released quickly I couldn't. Naturally I was careful and nothing happened. I had a little voice in my head go, "The other car owner could think the same and hit my car". However I thought stop being silly and carry on. Well when I went back to my car, that's exactly what happened. I had a received the biggest dent to my car for the whole time I had owned it. I had a the car less than 3 months at that point and only sold the car about 2 months ago.
I now pay a lot more attention to that 'little voice' in my head.
My theory on why so many people don't seem to care about damaging cars, is that a lot of them now just rent or lease them and change them every 2 years or so. They don't own their cars and treat them as such. I prefer owning my cars and keeping them for the long term. People always say that the cars cost loads of money to keep on the road when they are old, however my last car did over 150,000 miles. In that time I had a buy a new car battery for £80. That was it, other than normal servicing.
I remember around 10 years ago I bought a nice 12 month old Toyota Hybrid. I parked it in a pub car park with one car next to me. While opening my door, my initial thoughts were I could open my door fully, however released quickly I couldn't. Naturally I was careful and nothing happened. I had a little voice in my head go, "The other car owner could think the same and hit my car". However I thought stop being silly and carry on. Well when I went back to my car, that's exactly what happened. I had a received the biggest dent to my car for the whole time I had owned it. I had a the car less than 3 months at that point and only sold the car about 2 months ago.
I now pay a lot more attention to that 'little voice' in my head.
My theory on why so many people don't seem to care about damaging cars, is that a lot of them now just rent or lease them and change them every 2 years or so. They don't own their cars and treat them as such. I prefer owning my cars and keeping them for the long term. People always say that the cars cost loads of money to keep on the road when they are old, however my last car did over 150,000 miles. In that time I had a buy a new car battery for £80. That was it, other than normal servicing.
That thought crossed my mind too, but even people who open their doors onto other cars are likely to end up with some damage, even if it's just paint related rather than dents and therefore they'll have to pay for it when they hand the car back. My take on it is that people are just inconsiderate ***** and just don't give a damn about anyone else's property. There's just more people on the road these days which is probably why there seems to be an increase in people not giving a crap. It just infuriates me though, the thought of damaging someone else's car has never even entered my head and it's hardly like you really have to try to avoid it. I just hate people 
My general algorithm for parking:
- Depending on the car park, I will just park it in a disabled bay or parent and child bay (if isn't busy)
- * awaits a barrage of sanctimonious comments *
- I always try to find a space where I'll only have a car on one side of me, e.g. at the end of a row
- This does not apply to parking next to trolley bays, in fear of a child who has been tasked with putting the trolley back hitting into the car and/or rogue trolleys hitting into it
- Failing that, I will try to park nearer to a nice car, under the assumption they will be more considerate about opening/closing doors, given they probably take pride in their car
- I will always avoid visiting somewhere at peak hours if I can (if it involves parking in a car park)
- I never park next to anybody with a child seat
- Return and do a full 360 of the car to check for any damage
Last edited:
Had one yesterday. I was sitting in the car with the window open while my wife was getting stuff from the boot so it was obvious that we were there. He slams the door into my car then just shuts his door. I shouted over to him so that he would get back out. Its not even the damage for me since its an old car with a bunch of battle marks from over the years. It's the fact he didn't even bother to apologise for smashing something that doesn't belong to him. 
Probably go through your insurer and hand them their reg number I guess if they hit you with their car. But you'd probably have to get photos etc as evidence. If they hit you and don't leave their details then it becomes criminal damage afaik.
Last edited:
Soldato
Kinda glad we got the naff looking 'airbumps' on our Citreon after reading some of the posts in this thread. It'd do my head in if I had a nice car and it got dinged.
In Cornwall on holiday at the moment and parking in some places is a case of grabbing the first place you see in the tourist spots. So far wherever I've had to park tight to another car mine has been unmarked. The one time I park with spaces to the side... I come back to a door hit with a nice trace of red paint. Maybe I've been taking the wrong approach all these years. Park tight to the next car to minimise door swingage 
Caporegime
I pulled into an almost empty car park on Saturday afternoon, turned the engine off and then suddenly I see a SUV or mini van pulled up right next to me, looked over and there were kids in the back...WTF, about 20 other empty spaces and she picked the one right next to me, so started my engine again and put my car in the next space over.
Annoying.
Annoying.
Soldato
I haven't parked in a public car park for years... In my car. At one point I bought a banger for trips into town and food shopping etc. My lovely wife let's me use her car these days if I need to park in town, I still only use selected spaces and do all the usual 360 panel checks.
At work I have a 'special' parking space where I can safely park and avoid all dings. I also generally start work before 7am, means I don't ever have to fight for it. People just accept its mine now
Shouldn't have to resort to these measures, but people suck. Looking after your possessions /cars is like a curse
At work I have a 'special' parking space where I can safely park and avoid all dings. I also generally start work before 7am, means I don't ever have to fight for it. People just accept its mine now
Shouldn't have to resort to these measures, but people suck. Looking after your possessions /cars is like a curse
Caporegime
I haven't parked in a public car park for years... In my car. At one point I bought a banger for trips into town and food shopping etc. My lovely wife let's me use her car these days if I need to park in town, I still only use selected spaces and do all the usual 360 panel checks.
At work I have a 'special' parking space where I can safely park and avoid all dings. I also generally start work before 7am, means I don't ever have to fight for it. People just accept its mine now
Shouldn't have to resort to these measures, but people suck. Looking after your possessions /cars is like a curse
There is a woman at work that is terrible at driving. She freely admits driving into her house, she openly brags about having 9pts on her licence, she takes photos on facebook of herself putting an electric blanket on top of her engine with the bonnet open in the snow to “warm it up”. I won’t call her any names but her actions speaks for itself.
I would park far away, even go as far as predict how she will reverse out and whether that 3 point turn will go into my car.
Hmm. Well. If I drive to town, and there are no spaces that I consider worth leaving my car in, I won’t. I’ll skip it and go another time. I generally only park in spaces where there are no cars either side, only to the front and/or rear.
If I go to the supermarket I generally park the furthest away from the door. Where the spaces are all empty. I haven’t come out to another car parked next to me yet.
At work, my car is the first one to arrive so I get the choice of any space. Again, I leave it in a space where nothing can park either side of me, and only infront or behind
no door dings yet !
If I go to the supermarket I generally park the furthest away from the door. Where the spaces are all empty. I haven’t come out to another car parked next to me yet.
At work, my car is the first one to arrive so I get the choice of any space. Again, I leave it in a space where nothing can park either side of me, and only infront or behind
no door dings yet !
For the few weeks it isn’t?
The muck is from commuting in the spring anyway with the rain and mud. Should be relatively clean now I’m off for the summer and it’s dry.
Dirty or not; denting other people’s cars is not on.
Meh, ****/accidents happen. On our older car I don’t care at all. On our new car, I’d be a little annoyed but that’s about it. Tbh I wouldn’t even expect someone to pay for a small ding. I’ll just add it to the dozen stone chips I already have on a 18 month old car!
My parking decisions consist of parking in the best spot for what I want to do at the time. That said I’m very conscious of making sure I don’t ding other people’s cars.
Yes, I like my car, and I like that it looks nice, but it’s also a car, driven around and used as a tool for a job (whether that go to the shops or some remote trailhead). It’s going to get damaged. Perhaps if I drove a 1964 Mustang or ferarri I would feel different, but a 2017 Ford/Volvo/VW/BMW, not so much.
My parking decisions consist of parking in the best spot for what I want to do at the time. That said I’m very conscious of making sure I don’t ding other people’s cars.
Yes, I like my car, and I like that it looks nice, but it’s also a car, driven around and used as a tool for a job (whether that go to the shops or some remote trailhead). It’s going to get damaged. Perhaps if I drove a 1964 Mustang or ferarri I would feel different, but a 2017 Ford/Volvo/VW/BMW, not so much.
Soldato
LOL,
Just popped into Cheltenham into a nice outdoor car park, absolutely tons of spaces, probably only 20% of them filled, we park miles away in a space that only has one adjoining space, I park up, we all go shopping, and amazingly on return a massive Mercedes sprinter van has parked 4" away from my drivers door, he clearly tried to get out, put a very small but obvious ding in the paint, realised he was way too close and must have got out his passenger side (beauty of having a bench seat in a van I guess), leaving me unable to get in to the car properly (eventually had to just climb over from the passenger side which isn't easy in an X3 as the centre console is quite wide.
What a tool, he'd paid for 10 hours of parking, so wasn't going to be coming back anytime soon, I left a note pointing out that he obviously if they couldn't get out, how was I supposed to get in?, and ended it with 'Dont be a D***Head'..
Its one of those occasions where he'd deserve a bell end scratching in his door or something, but for once I just left it at that, I mean how much a a complete pillock do you have to be to not only ignore 80% of the carpark that's empty and park so you aren't blocking anyone in?
Just popped into Cheltenham into a nice outdoor car park, absolutely tons of spaces, probably only 20% of them filled, we park miles away in a space that only has one adjoining space, I park up, we all go shopping, and amazingly on return a massive Mercedes sprinter van has parked 4" away from my drivers door, he clearly tried to get out, put a very small but obvious ding in the paint, realised he was way too close and must have got out his passenger side (beauty of having a bench seat in a van I guess), leaving me unable to get in to the car properly (eventually had to just climb over from the passenger side which isn't easy in an X3 as the centre console is quite wide.
What a tool, he'd paid for 10 hours of parking, so wasn't going to be coming back anytime soon, I left a note pointing out that he obviously if they couldn't get out, how was I supposed to get in?, and ended it with 'Dont be a D***Head'..
Its one of those occasions where he'd deserve a bell end scratching in his door or something, but for once I just left it at that, I mean how much a a complete pillock do you have to be to not only ignore 80% of the carpark that's empty and park so you aren't blocking anyone in?